THURS, JUNE 3

La Loupe: Young American duo bring their earthy folk songs, sung in Mandarin, to Wudaokou. "We're very excited to be playing for an audience who hopefully will be able to understand our lyrics," said guitarist/vocalist Maia Bernstein in an interview with student newspaper the Oberlin Review last fall. "We're looking forward to what Chinese people think about our music, since Chinese bands were a huge motivating factor and inspiration for the formation of La Loupe." Fox Ride Tiger supports.D-22, 9pm, 30/20 RMB (students)

OPEN MIC: Exercise your vocal cords at the Andingmen venue's weekly open mic night, with 10 RMB Tsingdaos on hand to help lower those pesky inhibitions.Hot Cat Club, 9pm, free

Girls Are Waiting to Meet You: Colorful and accident-prone Beijing-based indie rock act conjure up rich, earthy sounds akin to Murder by Death and the Rosebuds with their diverse instrumentation and poetic lyrics; support unannounced.Jianghu Bar, 9:30pm, 40/30 RMB (pre-sale)

The Medullary Paralysis: Part of this Italian goth trio's shtick is their straight-edge lifestyle, which they wear proudly on their leather sleeves: "We don't drink, we don't take drugs, we don't have sex, we feel compassion." That's great and all, but let your music do the talking. Exit A supports.Yugong Yishan, 9pm, 50 RMB

FRI, JUNE 4

OLD SCHOOL HEAVY METAL NIGHT: Bad Mamasan headlines this night of classic heavy metal, with support from excellent metalcore outfit Last Chance of Youth and newcomers From Next In and L.U.C.Y.13 Club, 10pm, 50 RMB

CHILL-OUT FRIDAY: The Sanlitun literary haven settles into their new weekend event schedule with this Friday night cocktail hour anchored by beats from their resident DJ. Not a nightlife person? No problem! Just stand in the corner with an obscure book: you very well may be the hit of the party.The Bookworm, 8pm, free

The Trouble: Chengdu sextet (pictured above) take a trip up to the capital city to shower us with ska, the sunny day sax-fueled good times music to which we in Beijing are rarely exposed. Support comes from fellow ska outfit the K, rising street punks the Flyx, a band who grow increasingly tight and aggressive with each successive performance, and Cold Case, a band whose drummer grows increasingly intoxicated with each successive song.D-22, 10pm, 40/30 RMB (students)

OBSCURE BAND NIGHT: No, that's not the name of the gig: it's just that these bands either keep a very low profile or are neophytes: 虎假虎威, the King, Window Shopping and Nakoma will perform.Old What Bar, 9:30pm, 30 RMB (includes one free drink)

Brain Failure: Old school punks headline with support from DUDE, who must have gotten bitten by something in the ass this week to put their ambition in hyperdrive. Unannounced "mystery guests" will be there, too.Star Live, 8:30pm, 150/80/70/60 RMB (VIP/door/member/pre-sale)

Ataraxia: Atmospheric old-timey tunes fit for a journey to the misty mountains of Mordor, with support from Bloody Woods.Yugong Yishan, 8pm, 200/150 RMB (pre-sale)

SAT, JUNE 5

GREAT AIRCRAFT CARRIER PARTY 2010: This should be fun: two dozen electronic musicians (including the Syndicate, Patrick Yu, Blackie, Gotama and Ou Yang) and busloads of party-goers (including you, probably) drop anchor for another one of organizer extraordinaire El-Mar's wickedly-innovative parties. Buses will depart from Wudaokou at 5pm (Huaqing Jiayuan, West Gate) and from Chaoyang Park (South Gate) at 5:30pm. Bring lots of booze and other mind-altering substances for the ride! Ticket and scheduling info below.Binhai Aircraft Carrier, Tanggu, Tianjin, 5pm, 300/250 RMB (after/before Wed, June 2)

RUSH HOUR: BIG MOSH NIGHT: This is the weekend's most emotive show, with the 13 Club crowd making the trek to the Gulou venue to shred both their vocal cords and hopefully, eardrums. Tonight's bands include screamo outfits Raving Radio (check out their killer cover of the King of Pop's "Beat It") and Multi-Ego alongside the aforementioned DUDE, nu metal outfit Chinatown, metalcore dudes the Falling and pop punk act Summer Sunshine.MAO Live House, 8:30pm, 60/50 RMB (pre-sale; includes lucky draw)

THE BEFORE PARTY, ACT IV: Before what? The press info doesn't say and we're too lazy to make a phone call. But the BaiCai crew will be here at the intimate NLGX venue alongside draft beers and their infamous house rum going for 15 RMB a pop.Salud, 9pm, free

The Redbucks: Bluegrass outfit drops their debut LP All That Glitters at this release party before bringing their old-timey, apple-pickin', finger-lickin', guitar-splittin' tunes across the country on tour. Tonight, everyone receives a free CD, so no need to shell out those red bucks. Yee-haw!Yugong Yishan, 9pm, 80/60 RMB (pre-sale)

1984: This French band's press release throws around words like "dark," "solemn" and hypnotic while referencing bird flu fears, financial madness and other Orwellian imagery. What do they sound like? It's just standard rock and roll with a clear Ian Curtis influence. You can view the complete schedule for their nationwide tour on their MySpace page.Yugong Yishan, 9pm, 50 RMB

TUES, JUNE 8

THE EAST IS PINK: Two-for-one cocktails until midnight with beats by resident DJ Jiong Jiong and special guests at the Sanlitun venue's weekly gay night. Five RMB tapas all night.White Rabbit, 9pm, free